Bible Commentaries

St. Paul's Defence

1-21. St Paul's Speech to the People. St. Paul was accused of (1) hostility to the Jews, (2) contempt for the Jewish Law, and (3) the desecration of the Temple. He answers all these charges by showing, (1) that he was a Jew by birth, trained by Gamaliel, and so zealous for the Law, that he had been a persecutor of the Christian faith; (2) that his conversion to Christianity was the result of a direct divine revelation, made first at Damascus, and confirmed by a subsequent revelation to Ananias; (3) that even after his conversion he continued to honour the Temple, and to worship there, and saw a vision there; (4) that his preaching to the Gentiles was the result of a divine command, consequent upon the unbelief of the Jews.

1. Fathers] i.e. the Sanhedrists and rabbis.

3. Gamaliel] see on Acts 5:34.

4. This way] i.e. Christianity: see Acts 9:2.

5. The estate, etc.] i.e. the Sanhedrin. 6f. See on 98, and cp. Acts 26:12.

9. And were afraid] RV omits these words. Heard not] i.e. did not distinguish the words, or understand the meaning of the voice: cp. John 12:29.

13. Looked up] or, 'received my sight again and looked.'

14. That Just One] see Acts 3:14; Acts 7:52

17. A trance] Some identify this trance with that mentioned 2 Corinthians 12:2 but this is (for chronological reasons) unlikely.

22-C. Acts 23:11. Paul before the Sanhedrin.

23. Cast off] or, 'shook.'

24. Chief captain] i.e. tribune. The castle] i.e. the fortress of Antonia: see Acts 21:34.

25. Bound him with thongs] The correct reading probably means, 'And when they had stretched him out ready for the scourging.' A Roman] see Acts 16:37;

27. Chief captain] i.e. tribune.

28. See on Acts 16:37. It is evident that the chief captain had not bought the citizenship under Claudius (41-54 a.d.), who sold it for a merely nominal sum.